Recruitment Zone

Working for HMIE

HM Inspectorate of Education's (HMIE) mission is to promote improvements in standards, quality and attainment in Scottish education through first-hand, independent evaluation.
By publishing evidence from our evaluations, we inform parents, schools, colleges and other providers of education and the Scottish Ministers about standards and quality in education. We provide professional policy advice to the Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Government and others, and are engaged in a wide range of tasks which are intended to support improvement in education.

HMIE is managed by the HMIE Senior Management Group, comprising the Senior Chief Inspector, six Chief Inspectors and the Corporate Services Director. Responsibility for the day-to-day management of HMIE lies with eleven Assistant Chief Inspectors and the Corporate Services Director. All Inspectors work as part of a team of around ten who report to an Assistant Chief Inspector.

Current Vacancies

Our Staff

Please click here to find more information about our staff.

Related Information

Below you will find some general information about working for HMIE. This information is for reference only and it does not represent the real terms of an employment contract. Each application will be sent to applicants with the corresponding specific information attached.

As an employer, we offer equal opportunities to all our staff and we strive for equality and diversity in our workforce.
Our goal is to make HMIE open to all, and to value the contribution made by each individual. We aim to be representative of the communities which we serve and bring in talented individuals from different cultures and backgrounds.
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals and select our staff based on their ability to do the job. Applicants should note that in light of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 we have removed the upper age limit for recruitment.
HMIE policy on equal opportunities is that all staff should be treated equally irrespective of their sex, marital status, age, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, working pattern, employment status, gender identity (transgender), caring responsibility, or trade union membership.

We are participants in the Employment Services "Positive about Disability" scheme. Under the terms of the scheme we shall interview applicants with a disability who satisfy the essential criteria for appointment.

If you have textphone equipment, during recruitment exercises please ring our dedicated line: 0131-244 1829. Please do not use this number for voice calls as your call will not connect.

HMIE has a legal duty to monitor the ethnicity of its staff and applicants for employment. It also has separate duties in relation to disabled people.
In order to obtain information which will help us to meet these duties we are asking applicants to complete an attached form containing questions, which ask for details on your age, nationality, ethnicity and disability status. Please follow the instructions and complete as required. Completion of the form is needed to process your application. However there are "prefer not to say" options for some of the questions if you do not wish to provide this information.
In terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 the Scottish Government is also required to ensure that the information we hold about staff is as accurate as possible.

We have a legal duty to monitor the ethnicity of our staff and those who apply to work with us. We have separate duties in relation to disabled people. By requesting that all staff and applicants complete these forms, we hope to obtain information which will help us to meet these duties and ensure that the information held on the our HR system is accurate.
The information obtained from these forms will be used by staff in Human Resources to assist the Scottish Government to develop its equal opportunities policies. Data from the forms is also submitted to Cabinet Office on an anonymous basis to form part of the Civil Service staffing statistics database, results of which can be found at www.civilservice.gov.uk.
Occasionally, we are also asked to provide statistics on the background of our staff for Ministerial Briefings, Parliamentary Questions and similar matters. Data from these forms will be used for this purpose, but it will never be given on a basis which would allow staff to be individually identified.

The data will be used in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act. The data will be held in the Scottish Government's e-HR database. We would like to assure you that information held in the database is held securely and is treated in the strictest confidence. The information obtained on this form will only be used for the purposes set out above. Access to the data obtained on this form will be strictly limited to the appropriate HR staff that require access to the information for the purposes set out above. The Data Controller is the Scottish Government as per the data protection notification made to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Travel and subsistence expenses incurred during the selection process are the responsibility of the applicant.

Subsistence allowances and travelling expenses on official duty are paid. The cost of normal daily travel between home and office is not reimbursable.

Unless you choose otherwise, pension benefits are provided under the new Civil Service pension scheme arrangements. In most cases you will have a choice of arrangements between the Premium Scheme, a defined benefit occupational pension scheme or the Partnership Account, which is a stakeholder pension with an employer contribution. Member's contribution to Premium are 3.5% of salary and contributions to Partnership are subject to Inland Revenue limits. Full entry to the pension scheme is dependent on your health history.
"By-analogy" (or similar) to the Civil Service arrangements are pension schemes whereby the pension benefits an individual is entitled to are calculated in a broadly similar way to Civil Service pension arrangements. Members of 'by-analogy' schemes are not members of the Civil Service pension arrangements and are not entitled to any benefits under the Civil Service pension arrangements.

You must be a UK or other European Economic Area national, a Commonwealth citizen, a British Protected Person or a citizen of British Dependent Territories.

HMIE requires security checks on all successful candidates and due to the implementation of the Part V Police Act 1997, a new system of disclosing criminal history information has been introduced. Successful candidates will be required to produce an Enhanced Disclosure certificate less than 12 months old, prior to taking up employment.
Disclosure certificates are available from Disclosure Scotland, Disclosure Bureau, PO Box 250, Glasgow, G51 1YU, telephone: 0870 609 6006/ Fax: 0870 609 6996, E-mail: info@partv.globalnet.co.uk The Executive will meet the cost.
On completion, the form needs to be sent to the Executive to be countersigned. Further information on Disclosure certificates can be found at the Disclosure Bureau's website www.disclosurescotland.co.uk.

You will be asked to complete a health declaration and, if necessary, to attend a medical examination.

You may be allowed up to six months sick absence on full pay, less any National Insurance benefit received, in any period of 12 months. After that, a further period may be granted at reduced pay, subject to a maximum of 12 months sick absence in any period of four years or less.

As a civil servant, you may not take part in any activity which would in any way impair your usefulness to the Service, or engage in any occupation which may conflict with the interests of the Scottish Government or be inconsistent with your official position. Inspectors may not follow any other employment, which would interfere with proper discharge of their duties. Private tuition is expressly included in this prohibition. The giving of lectures, etc, and the publication of text books are not permitted, save in special circumstances with the previous sanction of HMIE.
Subject to these conditions, work of a minor or short-term nature (for example, vacation work or work after hours) is normally allowed, provided you seek the HMIE's prior permission.
You will also be subject to certain restrictions, depending on your grade and the nature of your work, on national and local political activities. These include standing as a candidate in parliamentary or local authority elections, or canvassing on behalf of candidates; and expressing views on matters of political controversy in public speeches or publications.